


A God And His Cat

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Thor (2011), F/M, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 04:33:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7830475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Powerless, banished, stranded on Midgard for three decades. Unfair? Possibly. Disappointing? Definitely. Unexpected? Not particularly. Loki has always known he was the spare, after all. But if there was one thing the Trickster God was always good at, it was turning a situation to his advantage.</p><p>Until, of course, he wasn't.</p><p>Oh, well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Conversations with a friend at, like, two in the morning led to him asking me to write something with Loki being a cat for whatever reason and coming to live with a mortal and then shenanigans happen. And I will get to that. But my muse is contrary at the best of times and decided this was what I would write instead.

    It was a bitterly cold evening in Midgard and the few people out and about on the streets were huddling into their many layers as much as they could and hurrying to their destinations. Loki didn’t really notice as he made his leisurely way back to the house he currently resided in, though it had less to do with his general indifference to the cold and more with his mind being occupied by the many things he had left to do in what remained of the day.

 

    After his brief stint as king of Asgard while Thor was off learning a bit of humility and Odin took an extraordinarily timed nap, Loki was imprisoned, sentenced and banished all in one efficient afternoon. Thirty years on Midgard he was given; his power, of course, taken away and left somewhere he could gain it back once he’d ‘earned it’, proving two things:

 

  1. The Allfather wasn’t terribly inventive with punishments these days, and
  2. He still had no idea how to deal with Loki and simply defaulted to how he handled Thor’s disciplining, albeit with a heavier hand.



 

    Neither was particularly surprising to the former Odinson and at that point, he had simply been beyond caring.

 

    He’d slipped into his new reality with enviable ease, as he usually did, and only spent the first six or seven months stewing in his anger and bitterness over everything that had happened to lead him there. After that he’d cast that, and indeed everything regarding his once-family, aside to make room for more immediately important matters. Like how to get his powers back. And where he would live in the coming years.

 

    And food. Food was important.

 

    On that note; he remembered he really needed to go grocery shopping soon.

 

    After twenty-five years of drifting all over the realm of mortals out of a lack of desire to stay still for too long, he settled in Reykjavik, Iceland, for no better reason than he’d liked the view, and there he’d spent the past four years. He didn’t exactly have friends in the area, but was civil with most of his neighbours and he did have a few people in other parts of the realm that he kept in touch with fairly regularly. In all this time, Loki hadn’t been able to find just where Odin left the rune that contained his powers, but hadn’t actually looked in quite some time, not putting it past the old king to have purposefully hidden it from him specifically.

 

    As he strode through the light layer of snow that had begun to accumulate, Loki heard a soft sound coming from somewhere to his left and looked over, finding nothing until the sound came again at his feet and he looked down. There he found a cat with glossy black fur and bright yellow eyes, looking up at him and meowing softly. He paid it no mind and kept walking but the creature followed after him and meowed again, louder.

 

    He stopped and looked down, and the cat rubbed up against his leg with a purring sort of meow. “Away with you, little beast; I have nothing for you,” Loki said and pushed the cat away with his foot, not enough to hurt it, just enough to hopefully get his point across.

 

    It didn’t work.

 

    The cat simply walked back to him and pawed at his foot, meowing up at him. Loki sighed and decided to simply walk away. He didn’t have to look to know the cat was still following him, but he figured it would get tired and leave him soon enough.

 

    It didn’t.

 

    When Loki reached his front door the cat meowed again and he looked down at it and glared slightly. It sat there and looked back at him completely unbothered, even going so far as to yawn. Loki didn’t quite know whether to be insulted, or acknowledge the feline as a worthy adversary. “Go. Away,” He said pointedly before opening the door and moving to go inside. Instead, the cat suddenly rushed between his feet and into the house, causing him to trip and nearly fall if not for the hands that clutched the doorframe and knob. “You little...” He hissed irritably.

 

    As soon as his footing was stable he threw the door closed behind him and went after the cat, who dashed further into the house, darting around and under furniture before ending up in Loki’s bedroom and under his bed. Loki cursed under his breath and went onto his stomach on the floor, reaching under the bed and to the far corner where the cat was huddled up; he felt fur at his fingertips but couldn’t reach anything to get a hold of and he swore again before pulling his arm back and glaring at the cat.

 

    “Fine! You win for now, you little fiend, but you have to come out of there sometime.”

 

    The cat meowed as if in response and Loki huffed in annoyance before standing up and leaving the room. Before he went to bed he made another failed attempt at getting the cat then gave up and simply went to sleep, figuring he could try catching it in the morning when he was properly rested.

 

    Hours later a sound woke him and he got up, grabbing the knife he kept under his pillow and making his way out of the room. There was a soft clatter in the kitchen and he silently made his way there. A crash of shattering glass and a whispered curse followed, and he reached the room and flicked the light on only to be utterly surprised by what he saw: There, standing before the sink and looking at him with wide startled eyes, was a young woman of about five-and-a-half feet in height with long sleek-looking black hair and bright yellow eyes. What’s more; she was completely naked.

 

    “Sorry about the mess, and the noise,” She said sheepishly, shoulders hunched slightly and head ducked in embarrassment, “I got thirsty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Fan Fiction Appreciation Day, peeps! :D


	2. Chapter 2

    Once the shock had worn off and the glass had been cleared, the girl introduced herself as Lena, after which her stomach had growled rather loudly and she reluctantly confessed she hadn’t eaten in days. With a resigned sigh, Loki went about making her a sandwich while she sat cross-legged on the counter with her hands perched on her calves watching him. As she began inhaling the sandwich as though she was afraid he’d take it away from her, he got another glass and filled it with water before handing it to her; she accepted it with a mumbled ‘thanks’ and drained half of it in one gulp.

 

    Once she’d finished eating she looked up to find Loki resting against the countertop across for her, watching her intently with his arms crossed at his chest. “You’re the cat,” He said at length, a statement instead of the question she expected, and she nodded slowly, “A shapeshifter. Cursed, or born?”

 

    Lena blinked, surprised at how quickly he’d figured it out. “Born,” She replied.

 

    “So am I,” Loki said then frowned slightly, “Or I was, when I still had my powers.”

 

    Lena visibly perked up at his words. “I _knew_ there was something familiar about you!” She said excitedly, leaning forward and resting her hands on the edge of the counter, the action serving to push her breasts together and upwards, not that she seemed to have noticed, “It’s been so long since I’ve been around another shifter, I didn’t even recognise it!”

 

    “Yes, well,” Loki began then cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly as he forced his eyes to remain on her face, “Ours is not exactly a common talent, much less in this realm.”

 

    Lena tilted her head to the side, her hair spilling over her shoulder and half her face and looked at him confusedly. “Realm?”

 

    “Let’s just say I’m not from around here,” Loki replied vaguely. “I’m going to assume, given your previous state of hunger and insistence on hiding under my bed, that you don’t have a home of your own,” He more stated than asked and she shook her head, “You can stay. For tonight. Come along.”

 

    He pushed off the counter and walked to the doorway before looking back at her in time to see her nimbly jump down from her perch and follow him, and he turned around quickly and walked on. He grabbed a comforter, blanket and pillow from a closet in the hall before leading her to his bedroom, it being the only one in the small house. Laying the comforter on the floor before his bed folded in half, he placed the blanket and pillow on it; he went over to his dresser and took out a long sleeved green shirt, walked back and held it out to her without looking.

 

    Lena stared at the shirt for a moment then up at him. “No, I’m good, thanks,” She said.

 

    “It’s not for _you,”_ Loki replied pointedly, still looking straight ahead of him and away from her.

 

    “Oh. Right. Sorry,” Lena said sheepishly before taking the shirt and slipping it on. It was, of course, far too big on her, but then, that was rather the point. She couldn’t deny, though, that the fabric was softer and more comfortable than anything she had worn in her humanoid form in years.

 

    With a quick ‘good night’, Lena lied down on her makeshift bed and curled up under the blanket. Ordinarily, she didn’t sleep much at night, being nocturnal by nature, but she was quite exhausted and fell asleep in no time. Loki stayed awake in his bed a while longer, wondering at what the odds were of him finding another shapeshifter there of all places. But then, stranger things had happened. With that thought in mind, he drifted off.

 

 

    Morning came and with it a ray of sunlight that landed straight in Loki’s eyes; a harsh reminder that he didn’t draw his curtains the previous night as it cut straight through to his dreams and dragged him to wakefulness. Getting out of bed, he looked towards the comforter on the floor and saw it was empty; he assumed that Lena had gone, seeing as how he’d only agreed to house her for the night, and simply went about his usual morning routine. Upon entering the kitchen he found a plate of eggs and toast waiting for him, along with a simple thank-you note, and he smiled slightly before sitting down to eat.

 

    After some debate about whether or not he wanted to do the dishes now (with the latter winning by a wide margin), Loki decided he really couldn’t keep putting off the shopping any longer as there was practically nothing left in the kitchen. As he closed his front door behind him, he idly wondered where Lena would have gone, but quickly shook the thought away as he began walking down the street towards the store.

 

    He got the distinct feeling he was being watched as he made his way through the aisles filling up his cart and looked around him with a discreetness born of centuries of observing from the shadows but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. He kept going calmly but was more on guard. His subtle vigilance was interrupted briefly when he reached the frozen desserts section and saw the store had finally stocked the raspberry ice pops he’d become borderline addicted to in his time in the realm; he grabbed several boxes, ignoring the look another shopper sent him as he walked by, and continued on his way.

 

    When Loki got back, there was a black cat sitting on his porch, apparently waiting for him, and he raised an eyebrow at her. “You do realise my home is not a hostel, don’t you?” He asked, briefly wondering if his nosy next door neighbour was watching him from behind her curtains again, but deciding he didn’t really care. She already thought he was odd, anyway. He sighed and walked up the steps, setting his purchases down so he could open the door. “Come on, then,” He told Lena as he held the door open, and she wasted no time going in before him.


	3. Chapter 3

    There was a half-eaten bird on his porch.

 

    Again.

 

    Loki walked past it and into the house, where he found Lena napping on the couch curled up in a way that, if he were unaware of how flexible the girl actually was, he might have been a little concerned; he walked to the kitchen, got a trash bag, and walked back to the living room. Lena lazily opened one eye as he stood over her and he held out the bag pointedly with a glare. Lena took her time stretching, arms over her head and arching her back with a satisfied sigh, then stood and took the bag from his rather distracted grip before sauntering over to deal with her mess.

 

    She’d been there for a month, and for all Loki’s saying that his hospitality wasn’t a permanent arrangement he had yet to tell her to leave.

 

    Well, he _told_ her; he just didn’t actually _enforce_ the statement.

 

    They mostly got along without a problem bar her hunting habits, though Loki insisted that Lena remain clothed at all times when in her humanoid form which she found to be a hassle; he had even gone so far as to buy her a few outfits, claiming he was tired of his shirts smelling like her, though she didn’t entirely believe him.

 

    “I don’t really know what you expect,” Lena said as she walked back into the house, thoroughly licking her fingers clean of what blood had gotten on them, “I’m a cat; that’s what we _do.”_

 

    “You’re not actually a cat,” Loki pointed out, forcing his eyes away from her fingers. That girl was going to be the death of him, and she wasn’t even aware of it.

 

    “Maybe not if I had been raised like people, but I wasn’t,” Lena replied as she climbed back onto the couch and stretched out across his lap on her stomach.

 

    Loki chose not to comment on that, instead opting for returning to his book. She hadn’t told him much about her childhood, but it had been enough to surmise she’d been less a member of the household and more of a pet, and not a particularly loved one at that. He hadn’t noticed his hand had moved to her head, fingers running through her soft black hair, until she started purring. He thought about stopping, but a glance down told him she was quite content and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it; he only hoped his body would decide to behave, because the vibrations coursing through her were... distracting.

 

    After a while she shifted and he thought she was going to get up; instead she turned over onto her back and looked at him expectantly. He blinked as he realised what she wanted. “You’re not serious,” He said incredulously. She merely tilted her head slightly to the side and gave him a pleading look he found incredibly hard to resist. “At the very least change back,” He tried to negotiate, sounding more pleading than he liked.

 

    “I don’t want to,” Lena replied, pouting slightly.

 

    Loki closed his eyes and threw his head back onto the couch with a frustrated sigh, wondering what he’d done to deserve this.

 

    Oh. Right.

 

    He moved a hand to her stomach and began to rub her belly hesitantly over her shirt, at least until she wriggled a bit and moved the fabric out of the way. Soon enough she was purring contentedly away again, oblivious to how decidedly uncomfortable he was about the whole thing. She arched her back slightly, wordlessly asking him to move higher, and Loki decided that was enough and half-shoved her off of him, making a hasty escape to his room as she looked after him utterly confused.

 

    Leaning against the door, he tried to get his breathing back under control. It didn’t really work. He glared at the ceiling. “You must be enjoying this,” He hissed then exited his room and hurried straight to the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

 

 

    Lena wasn’t in the living room when he returned, and a quick glance told him she wasn’t in the kitchen either. This wasn’t really unusual; the young woman came and went as she pleased, but she eventually returned. Usually when she was hungry. With that in mind, Loki went about making dinner for himself. He only cooked for the both of them when she was actually there, otherwise she was on her own.

 

    It was several hours before she came back, quietly entering the house by means of the back door. Once she was inside she shifted and silently padded to the bedroom, where Loki was just going to bed. When he finished settling in she jumped onto the bed and curled up by his legs as she usually did then they both fell asleep.

 

 

    “I’m confused,” Lena spoke up suddenly while helping with the dishes the next morning. She was sitting cross-legged on the counter drying the dishes as he handed them to her before setting them aside to be put away when they were done.

 

    “I should put that on a t-shirt for you,” Loki replied amusedly, glancing over to her with a grin.

 

    “Very funny,” Lena retorted, swatting at him with the towel, earning a laugh as he easily dodged.

 

    “What about?”

 

    “Last night.”

 

    “Ah.”

 

    “I was dressed!”

 

    Loki stopped scrubbing the plate in his hands and turned his head to give her a level look. “You were also practically writhing on my lap,” He said pointedly.

 

    “So? It’s nothing I haven’t done before.”

 

    “Yes; as a _cat,”_ Loki replied. At her confused expression, he let go of the plate and turned to face her fully. “Norns; you really don’t see how it’s different, do you?” He asked incredulously and she shook her head. He sighed and walked over to stand before her, placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. “You are _not_ a cat, Lena; not entirely,” He said slowly. “The people you lived with have done you a bigger disservice than you’ll ever know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a secret-but-not-actually-a-secret that I enjoy torturing Loki with clueless OCs. I'm evil like that. XD


	4. Chapter 4

    Three days out of the week, Loki had a job in a small bookstore. He didn’t particularly need the paycheck, having amassed a comfortable fortune in the past two decades (it paid to be good at acquiring hard-to-find things from out-of-the-way places), but it gave him something to do, and he was never one to turn down an excuse to be around books. The weather was surprisingly mild that day and so Lena followed him to work as she had taken to doing. His boss, a kindly Norwegian woman in her mid-fifties, found it amusingly endearing to see the black cat following after him or watching him interestedly from a corner of the counter.

 

    “Ah, I see you brought my favourite mouse-catcher today,” Ms. Røyseth greeted with a warm smile from where she was kneeling stocking a lower shelf.

 

    Loki chuckled as he went over to the back to clock in. He really rather liked Ms. Røyseth, she reminded him of Frigga at times; warm, patient and inviting, but with an inner fury waiting to be unleashed when necessary. She had one other employee who worked when Loki was off, and she treated them both as though they were her own children. He hadn’t really allowed himself to feel how much he’d missed that before meeting her, and he was determined to find a way to repay her for everything when his sentence was over.

 

    Lena walked over to the older woman and unashamedly meowed for attention, rubbing herself against her legs and even half-climbing onto her lap. Ms. Røyseth laughed and complied, petting the feline top to bottom and scratching behind her ears. When she was satisfied, Lena walked over to the register and jumped onto the counter, sitting and beginning to wash herself. She liked the sensation of being petted, but the lingering scent of another, not so much.

 

    “You are shameless, do you know that?” Loki said amusedly as he walked past the counter, arms loaded with a box full of new arrivals left to be sorted, and Lena spared him an unconcerned glace before returning to her task.

 

    The day was a rather slow one, with few people going into the store and fewer actually buying anything, and so Loki spent most of the first half of his shift stocking shelves and typing the latest deliveries into the system. Lena had chosen a coffee table in the reading corner in one part of the store to stretch out on and bask in the sunlight streaming in from the window, getting scratches and belly rubs from the occasional customer or Ms. Røyseth as they passed by.

 

    When lunchtime came around, Ms. Røyseth gently kicked Loki out of the store to take his break, as she was by now accustomed to doing. He met up with Lena in an alley with clothes for her to wear when she changed back and she followed him afterwards to a nearby café to eat. The two sat across one another on a table in a corner, looking for all the world like a couple, though Loki didn’t really mind, as that usually meant the owners sent them a free dessert to share and that place made the best chocolate cake for miles.

 

    As they ate, Lena kept looking up at him, staring for a moment as though she wanted to say something before looking back to her food. Finally, Loki looked up in time to catch her at it and held her gaze. “What?” He asked flatly.

 

    “I’m sorry about last night,” Lena blurted, looking a bit embarrassed, “I really didn’t think that was going to bother you; I mean, you only seem to mind being near me when I’m not wearing anything, so...”

 

    Loki stared at her for a moment then sighed, put his fork down and reached across the table to take her hand in his. “Lena, the problem isn’t that I mind; it’s that I don’t,” He confessed, “You’re not used to seeing yourself as a person, but you are. And a,” he took a breath, letting it out in a soft whoosh, “ _Highly_ attractive one, at that.”

 

    Lena stared at their hands for a while, processing. “Oh,” She finally said quietly. She looked up at him, her expression halfway curious and disbelieving. “Really?” She asked, “Because they sometimes told me I was pretty, but,” her face scrunched up a bit in thought, “I really don’t think they meant anything nice by it. Not with what usually followed.”

 

    Loki’s eyes darkened at that and his grip on her hand tightened just the slightest bit. “One day you are going to tell me everything about these people you lived with; and then I’m going to do something truly not nice,” He declared lowly. He let go of her hand and returned to his food, with her doing the same after a moment, and they ate in silence once more.

 

 

    The rest of Loki’s shift passed uneventfully and before long they were walking home, Lena being carried because of a rather sudden few inches of snow that had accumulated on the ground. Once inside she jumped down from his arm and went into the bedroom, coming out a few minutes later in her humanoid form wearing a long sleeved knee lengthed blue dress. Dinner was made, with Lena offering to help and Loki agreeing only as long as she stayed away from the stove. He did not need a repeat of the _last_ time, thank you very much.

 

    After they ate, they sat in the living room watching a horror film on tv; Lena curled up with her head on Loki’s lap while he ran he fingers through her hair absently. “Do you have any family?” Lena asked suddenly, not looking away from the screen.

 

    “My mother,” Loki replied without hesitation, “And I have a brother. At least; assuming they haven’t disowned me.” He looked down at her. “You?”

 

    “A sister, four brothers, and my mother.”

 

    “The people you lived with?”

 

    “No. Before that.”

 

    “I see.” He hesitated for a moment. “What happened to them? Do they still live?”

 

    Lena shrugged slightly. “I have no idea; I haven’t seen them in years.” She turned onto her back and looked up at him. “What’s it like?”

 

    “What’s what like?”

 

    “To grow up with someone who cares?”

 

    Loki froze, not having been prepared for that one, and thought. For all the hardships in his life, he couldn’t deny he’d always had someone who loved him, someone he could rely on when he let himself. How different would his life have been without that? And how in the Nine does one explain that?

 

    In the end, he decided to follow Frigga’s example and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on Lena’s forehead. “It’ll be alright, ástin mín,” He murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'ástin mín' = my dear/my darling/my young love


	5. Chapter 5

    When Loki walked into the kitchen for breakfast there was a loud pop followed by a burst of colourful confetti and streamers raining down on him. “Happy New Year!” Lena cheerfully called from where she was sitting on the counter.

 

    “New Year’s _Eve_ , Lena,” Loki corrected, shaking his head and causing some of the bits of paper to float down to the floor.

 

    “Close enough!” Lena chimed, undaunted.

 

    The past month had been an interesting one for them both as Lena truly adjusted to the changes living there had brought, but it couldn’t be denied that she was happier. She spent less time as a cat as the days passed; it was quite obviously still a part of her identity, but it was no longer what defined her. They had grown closer, too, which she wasn’t quite sure what to make of yet. She liked Loki, that much she knew. She was comfortable around him. For now, that was enough.

 

    Loki walked over and took the party popper out of her hands. “Where did you even get this?” He asked bemusedly.

 

    “Ah, you know; it was around,” Lena replied vaguely with a shrug.

 

    Loki rolled his eyes and reached over behind her head, pulling her forward and down to open the cupboard behind her and take out two bowls, much to her amusement. “As long as nobody saw you,” He commented offhandedly as he set the bowls down beside her and walked over to the fridge.

 

    After breakfast, and after Loki made Lena clean up the mess of confetti on the kitchen floor, Lena insisted on going out for a walk despite the _far_ from warm temperatures outside. She dressed up in a burnt-orange knit dress, thick dark grey leggings, grey fur-lined black boots and a black winter coat, grabbing a pair of dark grey winter gloves on her way out. Loki simply put on a light black jacket and gloves for appearances sake. It began to snow lightly as they walked, the little flakes clinging to their hair, and Loki laughed as Lena tried to catch a few with her tongue.

 

    They reached a park and Lena ran ahead, diving into a pile of loose snow, throwing it up in the air and practically rolling around in it while laughing. Loki shook his head with a chuckle as he walked past her to sit on a nearby bench; not two minutes later a snowball hit the side of his head and he glared over at Lena, who wore an admirably innocent expression.

 

    “That... was a mistake,” He warned as he stood. Lena stuck her tongue out at him and ran off. “Do really think you can outrun me in the snow, Lena?” Loki asked as he started after her.

 

    “I might!” Lena called back laughing, though they both knew she wouldn’t.

 

    Before long Lena let out a shriek as Loki tackled her to the snow, twisting around so she was lying on her back while Loki loomed over her with a victorious grin. “What was that?” He teased.

 

    Lena grabbed a handful of snow and smacked the side of his face with it, earning a laugh. “I said I ‘might’, not that I ‘would’,” She replied, “Now let me up.”

 

    “And if I don’t?”

 

    “I’ll make you.”

 

    Loki breathed a laugh. “And how exactly do you intend to do that?”

 

    “It’s my birthday today,” Lena said suddenly.

 

    Loki blinked at the subject change. “Is it?”

 

    “Mhmm; at about half past two in the afternoon,” Lena replied, “I’m the third oldest.”

 

    “I see,” Loki said then dropped onto his side beside her, propping his head up on his elbow, “And how many years are we celebrating?” He honestly wondered why he’d never asked before.

 

    “Twenty; I can buy beer now!” Lena replied cheerfully.

 

    “You don’t even _like_ beer,” Loki scoffed. He ran his fingers over the length of her jacket’s zipper, ending at her collarbone, then wrapped a loose lock of her hair around his index finger, tugging lightly. “We’ll have to do something special, of course,” He declared matter-of-factly.

 

    “If by ‘special’ you mean I get the last ice pop; then, sure!” Lena replied with a hopeful grin.

 

    “Don’t push your luck,” Loki deadpanned, earning a huff.

 

 

    Loki wasn’t sure how he ended up carrying Lena on his back, a bag of groceries hanging from his elbow, but that was how they returned home to find Mrs. Ingvarsdottir (aka ‘the nosy neighbour nobody likes’) waiting for them on the porch. He audibly sighed in annoyance, wondering what the woman wanted _this_ time, before making his way up the steps, letting go of one of Lena’s legs to fish the key out of his pocket.

 

    “You need to keep your cat out of my bins,” The woman snapped, making Lena bristle slightly.

 

    “I can assure you, my cat has better meal standards than whatever it is you throw out,” Loki replied shortly as he unlocked the door, the hand under Lena’s knee squeezing slightly to calm her, “You might wish to have a chat with Mr. Stefánson about his dog.”

 

    Once the door was open he stepped inside and turned to set Lena down on her feet, giving her the bag and nudging her further into the house. When he turned around, Mrs. Ingvarsdottir approached the door, a step or two away from being inside the house. “I know it was that little stray,” The woman practically hissed, “You might want to keep an eye on it; wouldn’t want anything to happen.”

 

    At that Loki inhaled sharply and, drawing himself up to his full height, stepped forward, forcing Mrs. Ingvarsdottir to take a step back away from the door. “I will warn you once, and _only_ once,” He spoke in a low, menacing tone that sent shivers down the woman’s spine, “If _anything_ happens to my cat, I will hold you personally responsible; and you can be sure I will make what little time you have left on this earth a living Hel.” He stepped back inside the house, still glaring at her. “Now get off my property,” He added icily and slammed the door shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to a Google search, 20 is the legal age for purchasing alcohol in Iceland. Little unclear about actual _drinking_ age, but at least you have to be 20 to buy the stuff.
> 
> Also; hurting other people's pets is a shitty thing to do. Don't fucking do it.


	6. Chapter 6

    When Loki walked into the kitchen, Lena was standing in front of the counter, the baking supplies they’d bought on the way home laid out in front of her, hands clutching the edge of the marble tight enough to turn her knuckles white as she tried and failed to keep tears from falling down her face. Loki shoved his anger at the neighbour aside and walked over to her, placing his hand on the back of her neck and rubbing slow circles on her skin; that usually calmed her down.

 

    Lena sniffled quietly, looking down at her hands. “I haven’t done that in months,” She said after a moment.

 

    “I know,” Loki replied, stamping down his discontent over the fact that she’d ever had to do it at all, “And you’ll never have to do it again.”

 

    She looked up at him with reluctant hopefulness. “Promise?” She asked in a shaky half whisper.

 

    “I promise,” Loki replied steadily. She managed a small smile then turned around and hugged him. He hugged back, running the fingers of one hand through her hair until she started to purr; after a moment longer he stepped back and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “Now, I believe we have a birthday to celebrate; don’t we?” He said with a smile.

 

    Lena let out a slight giggle and nodded then they set about making a chocolate cake from scratch, using a recipe Ms. Røyseth had given him. When the batter was mixed and in the oven to bake, they set about making the frosting; Loki had given Lena the choice of flavour and she had wanted raspberry buttercream. When it was done he gave her the honour of taste testing and later licking the spatula, though the latter she chose to share half. Once the cake was done and cooled they frosted it, with some of it unavoidably ending up smeared over Lena’s face by a highly amused Loki, though the joke soon proved to be on him as she simply wiped it off with her fingers and licked it up in a most distracting manner.

 

    With much flourish and overly dramatic air, Loki placed a single candle on the very centre of the cake and lit it. “I do believe it’s midgardian tradition to make a wish before blowing it out,” He said as he nudged Lena forwards a bit.

 

    “Pretty sure that doesn’t actually work,” Lena laughed.

 

    “Oh, I don’t know; sometimes fate decides to listen,” Loki replied with a shrug.

 

    She thought about it for a moment. “Eh; what the hell,” She decided then closed her eyes for a moment and leaned forward to blow the candle out.

 

    “What did you wish for?” Loki asked as he got a knife to cut the cake with.

 

    “I’m not supposed to tell, or it won’t come true!” Lena replied, swatting at his arm.

 

    “I thought you didn’t believe in that?” Loki teased, picking the candle out and setting it down on the counter.

 

    “Oh, shut up,” Lena grumbled, earning a laugh.

 

 

    After eating half the cake between them, they decided to have a proper lunch like the proper adults they weren’t then Lena bundled up again and they set off to visit the bonfire nearby and then Ms. Røyseth’s bookshop; she had invited them, along with her other employee and some friends, to her home on the floor above the store to celebrate the new year. She greeted everyone with a hug and a drink and encouraged them to mingle. It wasn’t long before Lena found herself being pulled into a dance with Loki’s co-worker, a young woman with a bright smile that was maybe a bit too physical with others, though not inappropriately so. Loki and his co-worker’s girlfriend watched on in amusement for a while before he felt enough pity for Lena to come to her rescue.

 

    At half past ten everyone gathered in the living room to watch Skaupið, Lena ending up having to sit on Loki’s lap due to lack of space (not that he minded), then went up to the roof to watch the fireworks and launch some of their own. Lena loved the lights and colours, but the noise kind of scared her and she found herself clinging tightly to Loki’s arm and resisting the urge to run back inside and hide.

 

    By the time they made their way back home, waving goodbye at their ride, Lena simply refused to walk and Loki, being the _absolute gentleman_ that he is, rolled his eyes and picked her up by the waist, throwing her over his shoulder before walking into the house, to surprised yet mostly half-hearted complaints. He set her down on the couch then sat on the carpet before her. “ _Now_ you can say it,” He said, handing her a party popper she hadn’t realised he’d brought with him.

 

    Lena laughed then aimed it upwards and pulled on the cord, showering them with colourful confetti. “Happy New Year!” She cheered somewhat tiredly with a big grin.

 

    “I certainly hope so,” Loki murmured, moving to rest his head on her stomach.

 

    “What’s wrong?” Lena asked, sensing a shift in the mood.

 

    Loki was silent for a while, not really wanting to ruin her good mood, especially given the recently departed day. “It’s my last year in this realm,” He said at last.

 

    “Oh. But that’s a good thing, right? I mean; you get to see your mother again, and your brother.”

 

    A quiet snort. “Assuming I can still claim them as such.”

 

    “I’m sure you can,” Lena tried to reassure.

 

    “Even then; what kind of life awaits me on Asgard?” Loki mused aloud, “There’s a reason I ended up here. There’s no going back from that, or what led to it.”

 

    “So, don’t,” Lena replied simply. He looked over at her, mouth opened to reply, but she sat up suddenly, forcing him to sit up as well, and hopped down from the couch to sit next to him. “I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through, we come from completely different situations, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the time I’ve known you, it’s that we keep moving forward. I mean, look at what you’ve managed,” She gestured around them broadly, “In four years you’ve made a space here for yourself. And that’s not even mentioning the connections you’ve made all over the world before that. There is no reason you can’t do the same again.”

 

    “Actually; I can think of two,” Loki chimed with a lightness he wasn’t quite feeling, warmed as he was from her optimism.

 

    “I’m pretty sure getting smacked around by a nine-foot-tall automaton leaves an impression,” Lena deadpanned, “I really don’t think he’ll be dismissing you again any time soon.”

 

    “Maybe not,” Loki conceded, “But Odin-”

 

    “Doesn’t. Matter,” Lena interrupted firmly, “Not if he hasn’t learned a thing or two about good parenting the last thirty years.”

 

    Loki thought for a moment then let out a slight laugh. “I’m learning life lessons from my cat now,” He said amusedly then looked up at the ceiling, “You truly must be enjoying this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Skaupið", short for "Áramótaskaupið", is an Icelandic tv comic show which is a satire on the events of the year, and runs from 10:30 to 11:30; it is apparently tradition to watch it if my research is accurate.
> 
> I apparently can't do math at all and wrote three years in the first chapter, which made no sense now, and so I had to go back and fix that. I am telling you this so that you may laugh at my awesome adding skills. Go ahead; I did.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleep is for the weak! Also, hey look; we have a rating now. Kinda knew it was going in that direction, but I couldn't be bothered to change it before. I'm lazy like that.

    The morning was a rather slow one, given that they’d only slept for a few hours, and after breakfast Lena ended up shifting and curling up under the couch to sleep while Loki left for work. Ms. Røyseth wouldn’t really mind him taking a day off under the circumstances but he’d decided against it anyway and was only a bit late.

 

    “What; no Fríða today?” Ms. Røyseth asked as he walked past her at the register to clock in. Fríða was the name he had given Lena in her cat form, so there would be no question about why his cat and his... friend. _Friend._ Had the same name. It had been part joke, part teasing, and all truth.

 

    “Couldn’t get her out from under the couch,” Loki replied with a shrug as he walked back out of the office. Not technically a lie, only that he hadn’t actually tried that hard; he called to her once and left it at that before leaving her.

 

    Ms. Røyseth hummed slightly. “It would’ve been all the fireworks last night,” She reasoned, “Poor dear.”

 

    Loki didn’t contradict her (she was partially right, in any case) and simply got to work. At lunchtime Lena walked into the store, the skirt of a blue-green dress peeking out from under her coat, greeted Ms. Røyseth then dragged Loki out with her for lunch. Their usual place was completely packed, and so they ordered their food to go and went to a park to eat, settling down on a bench side by side. As they were eating dessert, Lena began giggling slightly, trying to stifle it behind her hand, until Loki sent her a questioning look.

 

    “You’ve... got a little...” She managed, gesturing to his face then the side of her own mouth to try and get her point across. He wiped his fingers across the corner of his mouth and got a bit of the chocolate there, but mostly succeeded in smearing it a bit further. Lena laughed then without thinking leaned over and licked it off, thoroughly startling him, and herself when the action finally registered in her mind. They stared at each other wide-eyed for a moment. “I... did not think that through,” She finally said, looking away.

 

    “I figured,” Loki managed. The silence stretched between them for a long while as they finished their cakes then sat there for a while longer, not quite looking at each other. Loki cleared his throat. “I need to get back,” He told the bench.

 

    “Right,” Lena replied then hopped up and went to throw their garbage away.

 

    They walked back to the store then Lena left without a word. Ms. Røyseth noticed the change in their demeanour but dropped the subject when Loki told her he was fine; she clearly didn’t believe him, judging by the concerned glances he noticed her giving him, but thankfully didn’t say anything more.

 

 

    Lena wasn’t in the house when Loki returned that evening, not that he was surprised. He figured she’d want to avoid him after that lunch. He also knew she’d be back eventually. Which was why, when midnight came and went and the back door remained undisturbed, he began to worry. He contemplated waiting a little longer for all of ten seconds before leaving the house.

 

    He checked the nearest park first, since she loved it there so much, but she wasn’t there. He then expanded his search little by little, even going so far as to check the street where they first met, to no avail.

 

    _Now_ he was worried.

 

    As a last resort he looked up. “I don’t suppose you’d lend a hand?” He said aloud, not actually expecting any kind of response. To his surprise a while later there was a sudden flash in the sky, much like a shooting star, that headed straight for him. The object landed half a foot away from him, revealing itself to be his favourite dagger and a crystal-like sphere he immediately recognised as a scrying orb. “Thank you?” He said somewhat confusedly.

 

    He suspected Frigga might be behind the gifts, seriously doubting that Heimdall would actually help him of his own accord given their... _disagreements._ Regardless, he wasn’t about to question it much, not while Lena was missing. Sparing a thought to be grateful the orb actually worked for him without his seidr, he followed its lead, going halfway across the city before sensing he was anywhere _near_ Lena. The orb led him among the trees of Öskjuhlíð, ignoring the path, and his apprehension grew with every step he took.

 

    Finally he heard somewhat hushed arguing ahead, and then a muffled whimper that set his veins aflame with rage; tightening his grasp on his dagger he crept towards the sounds, steps almost completely silent. Walking up behind a man of broad build but shorter than him, Loki grabbed a handful of his hair, pulled his head back and dragged the blade across his throat in one smooth movement. The two others with him barely had time to register what had just happened before the god was moving again. Loki threw the dagger at one, embedding it right between the eyes, and ran straight for the other, knocking him to the ground; he grabbed the man’s head and bashed it against the ground repeatedly until he heard an extremely satisfying crack.

 

    Letting go of the still twitching man, Loki looked around until he spotted Lena curled up into a ball a little away then stood and rushed over to her. She flinched away from him as he approached but stopped when she saw it was him. “Lena, are you alright?” He asked, looking her over for injuries. There was a bruise on her left cheek, and she seemed to be having difficulty catching her breath, but otherwise looked okay. “Why didn’t you shift?”

 

    In response Lena clutched at a collar he hadn’t noticed before because of her coat and looked at him pleadingly. Loki reached over to take it off and discovered it had a lock at the back; Lena pointed at the last man he’d killed and he went over and searched him until he found the key. Once the collar was unlocked and removed Lena gulped in deep breaths, rubbing her sore neck; as soon as she could breathe again she launched herself at Loki and hugged him tightly, as though she was afraid he’d disappear, and broke down in sobs. Loki hugged her back, rubbing her back soothingly, and sent a grateful look up to the sky, not particularly caring who exactly it was for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Killing things for fun and profit; that's the way we roll. It won't be the last time, I can spoil that much, but if you've read more of my work you probably expect that by now. XD
> 
> 'Fríða' = Derived from Old Norse 'fríðr', meaning 'beautiful, beloved'.
> 
> Öskjuhlíð is a woodland area surrounding the Pearl, one of Reykjavík's landmark buildings. The pictures I found are very pretty and I wanna go there someday.


	8. Chapter 8

    Lena refused to let Loki go when they got back home, even when he told her she needed a bath and he needed to wash the blood off his hands. They finally reached a compromise when Loki promised to stay in the room with her, sitting against the far wall where she could see him through the shower’s frosted glass door. Once she was clean and dry he gave her one of his shirts to wear, since he hadn’t actually bothered getting her any pyjamas considering she never really slept in her humanoid form, and they went to bed. It took her almost two hours to drift off, but she slept.

 

    When she awoke in the afternoon Lena was alone, and she panicked slightly before forcing herself to calm down. She was _not_ this fearful. Not anymore. Getting out of bed, she quietly padded out of the room and into the kitchen, almost colliding with Loki on his way out.

 

    “I was about to wake you; you need to eat something,” Loki said, stepping out of the way and herding her towards the table, “And don’t tell me you’re not hungry.”

 

     “I’m not; I’m starving, actually,” Lena replied with a bit of a smile.

 

    Loki chuckled then went over to the counter and brought her a plate with a sandwich and a glass of water; Lena wolfed it all down much like she had that first night they met. They sat in silence for a while then Loki reached over and turned her face to the side to check her cheek; the bruise was still visible but it was healing already, looking a deep purple with yellowed edges. He wasn’t particularly surprised; shapeshifters tended to be fast healers, as he well knew. Still, it was a relief.

 

    “You probably have questions...?” Lena ventured quietly.

 

    “Since the day I was born,” Loki replied with a slight grin, making her laugh. “Did you make it back here yesterday?” He asked.

 

    Lena shook her head. “Barely made it halfway,” She replied.

 

    He nodded in understanding. “Where they the people you lived with before?”

 

    “They _worked_ for them.”

 

    A slight hum. “Lena...” He began then paused for a moment, mentally preparing himself to become very, _very_ angry, “How did you end up with them?”

 

    Lena was quiet for a long moment, staring at the table. “They bought me,” She finally said. She glanced up briefly at Loki to see his face was decidedly blank then looked back down at the table. “When I was four, some people came to our house. They took my mother, my siblings and me. We were separated and sold off; the man who bought me was looking for an exotic pet for his daughters,” She shuddered slightly, “They were not nice.”

 

    Loki took a moment to make sure he could keep his voice level before speaking. “How did you escape?”

 

    “Two years ago one of the security guys, a new hire, found my cage and let me out. He gave me some money, made sure the way was clear, and told me to run as far as I could.” Lena frowned, a thought occurring to her. “He’s probably dead now, if they found out what he did. And I don’t even know his name.”

 

    “If he was smart, he would have left after helping you, so he might still live,” Loki tried to reassure her.

 

    “I hope so,” Lena replied, smiling slightly, “He was really nice.”

 

    “Lena, when my sentence is over and I get my powers back; you are going to lead me to that place,” Loki said. She looked up at him abruptly with wide eyes and made to protest, but he raised a hand and spoke over her. “This is not negotiable,” He said firmly, “Our kind are not _pets._ We are not beasts to be kept in cages for another’s entertainment. What you suffered should never have been and it must... no, it _will_ be repaid in blood.”

 

    Lena considered arguing further but ultimately thought better of it; she wasn’t sure she’d be able to change his mind, or if she even wanted to. And while the thought of going back to that place terrified her, at least she wouldn’t be alone. “Can I ask for one thing?” She asked after a moment.

 

    “You just did, but go ahead,” Loki replied with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

 

    “I need to know what happened... to my family. If they’re still alive. If I can find them.”

 

    “Of course, ástir; I’ll do what I can.”

 

 

    For the rest of the week Lena didn’t leave the house alone, in case her former owners sent any more people after her; she would have left the city altogether instead of just hiding, but she didn’t really want to leave. Partially because of Loki, sure, but mostly because, for the first time since she’d been sold, she actually felt at home; she didn’t want to give that up.

 

    Loki, of course, was perfectly understanding. She was coping remarkably well all things considered, but it didn’t change the fact that it had been a terrifying experience, and she was young still; she didn’t have it in her to push on like he did. That was probably a good thing; he was fairly certain the way he handled most of his troubles wasn’t entirely healthy.

 

    They were watching a cooking programme of all things, Lena curled up with her head on Loki’s lap as he’d by now grown used to, his knuckles absently caressing the underside of her jaw causing her to purr. She’d tried to keep herself from doing so in her humanoid form once but it just wouldn’t go away. If Loki was honest with himself, though, he’d actually grown to really like that about her.

 

    “Why are we watching this?” Lena asked after a good ten minutes.

 

    “I have no idea, but it is giving me serious cravings,” Loki replied and she laughed. He grabbed the remote and flicked through channels for a bit before deciding there was nothing interesting on and turning the tv off. “Let’s go for a walk,” He suggested mostly out of desperation.

 

    “It’s freezing outside, Loki.”

 

    “Which is why coats were invented.”

 

    “I don’t want to go outside,” Lena whined, curling up tighter.

 

    “Fine, then; stay here,” Loki replied, moving her head to stand up, much to her displeasure.

 

    “But I don’t want to be alone,” She pouted as she reached out and snagged the hem of his shirt, holding on tight.

 

    “Lena, let go,” Loki said, pulling at his shirt unsuccessfully. “Don’t be such a child,” He scolded.

 

    “Stay.”

 

    “No.”

 

    “Pleeeease?”

 

    A sigh. “Why me?” He muttered to himself.

 

    “Because you smell nice,” She replied simply.

 

    Loki blinked and looked at her incredulously. “... Seriously? _That’s_ why you followed me home?”

 

    “Yes.”

 

    Loki closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers with a deep sigh. _Of course_ that was it. What else could it have been? He looked back down at her. “I really need to not be indoors right now.”

 

    Lena thought about it for a moment then released his shirt and stood up. “Fiiine; let’s go out. But you’re buying me coffee.”

 

    Loki rolled his eyes. “Obviously,” He replied then draped his arm over her shoulders and led her to the bedroom so she could change into something warmer.


	9. Chapter 9

    “So, when exactly does your banishment end, anyway?” Lena asked as they walked, a large cup of coffee that was mostly milk cradled in her hands and Loki’s arm draped over her shoulders.

 

    “I’m not sure,” Loki replied, “I wasn’t exactly paying much attention to the date when I first arrived, plus I rather doubt that Odin intends to bring me back on the exact day, so it might not really matter.”

 

    Lena hummed in understanding. “I guess we’ll find out then.”

 

    “I guess so.”

 

    “What’s Asgard like? You don’t talk about it much.”

 

    “Forgive me if I’m not too inclined to speak of the place they kicked me out of,” Loki replied sarcastically, earning an elbow to the ribs. He was quiet for a moment, thinking about where to begin. “As a realm; it’s beautiful. The people, well...”

 

    “Who cares about the people? I want to hear about the _important_ things!”

 

    Loki had to stop walking at that, laughing for a good long while. “Norns; I love you,” He finally managed, looking down at her, and she grinned widely up at him.

 

    “Well, I _am_ very lovable, so of course you do,” She replied matter-of-factly. He shook his head with a chuckle and they continued walking.

 

    Along the way he told her about Asgard, describing the palace and the city beyond it as well as telling her of the forests, lakes and beaches he spent so much of his youth in. He then went on to tell her more about his mother, and Lena could tell he really missed her. He also talked about Thor a bit, keeping to their childhood and adolescence, before things had gone so very wrong between them. Odin he avoided entirely, not even touching upon the relatively fewer pleasant memories he had about him. He wasn’t ready to open _that_ particular box just yet.

 

    “Well, that settles it; you have to take me to visit one day,” Lena declared when he finished.

 

    “Or I could just bring you with me,” Loki replied casually and Lena froze and looked up at him with wide eyes. “If you want to... of course,” He added hastily, taking a self-conscious step away from her, “You don’t have to... It’s hardly an obligation.”

 

    Lena opened her mouth then closed it, trying to find her words. “I... I didn’t... think...” She began then stopped and bit her bottom lip for a moment before trying again. “Is that even... allowed?” She finally managed.

 

    Loki breathed out in relief. “Once mother meets you? You’ll have a much more difficult time _leaving,”_ He replied with a slight laugh. He reached a hand up to her but stopped halfway. “Would you? Come with me?” He asked somewhat hesitantly.

 

    “I... well... Yes,” Lena replied with a small smile, “Yes, I would.”

 

    Loki’s demeanour visibly brightened at that. “Good,” He said, draping his arm around her shoulders again. “Because I have grown entirely too used to having you around to leave you behind,” He added and Lena giggled.

 

 

    The arrival of spring was an interesting time, with Lena becoming extremely moody or contradictingly very clingy at the most random moments, and it was all Loki could do to _try_ and keep up with the changes. He supposed it could have been worse but that certainly didn’t make things easier and more than once he practically fled the house just to have a moment’s peace.

 

    He’d just walked into the living room after one such occasion to find her practically writhing on the couch, trying to get comfortable to no avail, until she fell to floor with a yelp. “Fucking hormones!” She cried out frustratedly, not bothering to get up.

 

    Loki walked over and stood over her. “You are not having a very good day, are you, ástir?” He asked, looking down at her with equal parts sympathy and amusement.

 

    “Go to hell,” Lena retorted irritably.

 

    Loki chuckled and knelt down to pick her up, sitting down on the couch with her on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. “It’ll pass,” He said reassuringly.

 

    “Not soon enough,” Lena replied, moving to wrap her arms around his shoulders and bury her face in his neck. “I hate spring,” She grumbled.

 

    “I’m sure you do,” Loki replied, rubbing her back soothingly. She purred a bit in response and he smiled slightly. After a while she shifted slightly and pressed her face against his neck more. He stopped moving abruptly when he felt her sniff. “Lena; what... are you doing?” He asked bemusedly, not entirely sure he wanted an answer.

 

    Lena hesitated in responding. “... Nothing,” She finally said, wholly unconvincingly.

 

    He pried her arms from him then pushed her away enough to look at her, immediately recognizing the glint of lust in her yellow eyes behind her obvious embarrassment. “Oh, for...” He huffed then grabbed her by the waist and set her down on the couch besides him.

 

    “It’s not like I’m doing on purpose!” Lena whined helplessly.

 

    “I know you’re not, Lena; calm down,” Loki replied with a sigh.

 

    “How am I supposed to ‘calm down’??” She snapped in a flash of anger that fizzled out as quickly as it came. “I’m sorry,” She said, slumping against the backrest of the couch, “It’s never been this bad before; I don’t know why and I don’t know what to do.”

 

    Loki sat back and eyed her sympathetically. “I think I know why,” He said, earning a questioning look. He reached over and took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “You’re reacting to _me,”_ He explained, “You’ve been drawn to me from the start. Can’t believe I didn’t recognise it before.”

 

    “What do you mean?”

 

    “You’ve been kept in captivity for most of your life then hiding since your escape; you’ve never had a chance to go through this properly, but this is how it’s supposed to feel.”

 

    “... Oh. Well, this sucks.”

 

    “Yes, it does.”

 

   “What do I do, then?”

 

    “What do you _want_ to do?”

 

    Lena thought about it for a moment then sat up, reached over and grabbed the back of his neck, and then crashed her lips upon his. Loki hesitated for a moment before coming to terms with the fact that he did _not_ have the self-control for this and pushing her backwards to pin her under him on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided I've tortured the poor guy long enough. XD


	10. Chapter 10

    Lena walked into the kitchen, lured by the scent of breakfast, and wrapped her arms around a shirtless Loki’s waist from behind and pressed her cheek against his back, mindful of the scratches she left there the previous night. She’d been horribly embarrassed about it after when she had enough mind to do so but he had laughed it off, saying it wouldn’t be the last time it would happen. That hadn’t been half as reassuring as he seemed to think it was.

 

    “Good morning.” She could hear the smile in his voice and it warmed her in ways it hadn’t before. She decided she liked the feeling.

 

    Lena turned her face and kissed then gently nipped at his back. “Morning,” She returned.

 

    He chuckled softly and turned around in her arms, wrapping his own around her shoulders. “I take it there are no regrets, then?” He asked, though his expression suggested he already knew the answer.

 

    “Not a one,” She replied with a grin.

 

    “Good.” He leaned down and kissed her, savouring the feeling that he finally could after so many months of desperately wanting to. He knew it was better this way, though; he had wanted, and then liked, her then, but now he well and truly loved her.

 

    He’d be lying to say he hadn’t missed that feeling, much less having it returned.

 

    After breakfast Lena practically pounced on him, but this time Loki had the presence of mind to actually _get_ to the bedroom, though it had been a _very_ close call in the hallway. Lena curled up to him afterwards, nuzzling his neck and tracing the fingertips of one hand lightly over his collarbone.

 

    “Are you going to be done any time soon?” Loki asked amusedly after a while.

 

    Lena froze and looked up at him with wide eyes. “Done with what? I’m not doing anything,” She said entirely too quickly and he chuckled.

 

    “Ah; so you’re _not_ marking me with your scent, then?”

 

    “... N-no?”

 

    He breathed a laugh then kissed her forehead. “You are such a cat.”

 

    “Shut up,” She muttered, smacking his chest lightly, “I can’t help it.”

 

    He laughed again and she huffed and moved a bit to lay her head just over his heart, purring as she began to doze, and he decided things simply couldn’t be more perfect than that moment.

 

 

   She’d been out for a walk as Loki worked, not really wanting to be indoors, when she felt something land on her head with a really quite painful thud, pulling a hiss and a sharp curse from her mouth that she was rather glad nobody was around to hear. Her quick reflexes caught the object in mid-air as it bounced off of her before she even saw what it was; she opened her hands to find a small square of wood about the size of her thumb, which a quick sniff told her was ash wood, a kenaz rune carefully carved onto it. She didn’t think she was imagining how it seemed to thrum with power, raising goosebumps all along her arms.

 

    She also didn’t doubt what it was she was actually holding.

 

    She looked up at the sky with a slight glare. “Did you _have_ to _throw_ it at me?” She asked irritably, rubbing the spot of her head the runestone landed on with one hand. “Rude,” She added in a grumble. She pocketed the rune and continued on her way, intending to show it to Loki when he got home.

 

    As soon as Loki got back to the house Lena was on him, tackling him with a hug that would have knocked his unprepared form down to the porch if he hadn’t grabbed onto the doorframe. He pulled himself back upright and wrapped an arm around her waist before walking them inside and shutting the door behind them.

 

    “You smell really, really good,” Lena said by way of greeting to the hollow of his throat after inhaling deeply.

 

    “Well; that’s rather the point of pheromones, but thank you anyway,” Loki replied as he set her back down on her feet.

 

    She unwrapped her arms from his neck to place her hands on his shoulders and leaned up to kiss him. “I have something for you,” She said as she stepped back down with a grin that reminded him of a children’s book he’d read once to a group of kids at work and he raised an eyebrow curiously.

 

    “Should I be worried?” He asked half-jokingly.

 

    “Oh, I think you’ll really like this,” She replied assuredly, taking his hand in hers and leading him further into the house.

 

    “Well, colour me intrigued.”

 

    She led him to the living room, where she’d left the black leather jacket she’d _borrowed_ from him draped over the back of the couch. She let go of his hand and took the rune out of the jacket’s pocket, cupping it between both hands to keep it out of sight for a moment longer; turning around to face him, she held her hands out to him then parted them to reveal the rune.

 

    Loki’s expression was indecipherable as he stared at the carved square of wood wherein all his power was contained. He reached a hand up and let it hover inches above it but made no move to actually take it.

 

    Lena’s smile slowly faded and she looked at him in confusion and slight worry. “Loki? What’s wrong?”

 

    “It seems too easy,” Loki replied at length, “I’m wondering what the catch is.” He let his hand drop back to his side. “Keep it. For now. I need to be sure it isn’t a trap,” He said as he took a step back.

 

    “You really think it could be?” Lena asked, looking down at the rune in her palms.

 

    “Yes. No. I-... I don’t know,” Loki replied, looking a little lost.

 

    Lena closed a hand around the rune and lowered her arms to her side. “Okay, then; I’ll keep it until you’re sure,” She said with a slight smile.

 

    “I’m sorry; you were so excited to show me,” He said apologetically.

 

    “It’s okay,” She dismissed with a wave of her free hand.

 

    “How did you even get it?”

 

    “It landed on my head.”

 

    He really tried not to laugh. He really did.

 

    He was not successful.

 

    She huffed and punched his shoulder none-too-gently, and he picked her up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder, earning a hiss of complaint, before taking her to the bedroom and hopping into bed. She struggled fruitlessly to escape his grasp as he covered her shoulders, collarbone and neck in kisses before giving in and pushing him onto his back, claiming his lips with her own.

 

    His hands moved from her hips down to her ass and squeezed a bit, causing her to break the kiss and narrow her eyes at him. “Uh-uh; you haven’t earned that yet,” She said as she reached back and moved them back up.

 

    He rolled his eyes but relented with a sigh. “Fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kenaz rune: [runesecrets.com](http://runesecrets.com/rune-meanings/kenaz)
> 
> Kenaz is my favourite rune to work with, and is quite closely associated with Loki. Ash wood was very sacred to the Nords particularly associated to Odin, and Yggdrasil is an Ash tree. So, you know; it's a pretty big deal.


	11. Chapter 11

    As the weeks passed, Lena began to notice subtle changes in herself; she felt more energised, her senses seeming to expand beyond her norm. It didn’t take long to link the changes to her near-constant proximity to Loki’s powers; when she mentioned it to him, he simply said that ‘someone may as well get some use out of them’ and went back to what he’d been doing.

 

    Since it didn’t seem to bother him she decided to make the most of it, spending much of her time wandering about in her cat form going places and doing things she hadn’t dared to before. It was during one such exploration as she was stalking a bird that she felt a prickling sensation along her spine that warned of danger in the split second before pain exploded in one of her back legs; she looked over to find a small dart sticking out then unconsciousness overwhelmed her.

 

    Lena shifted with a slight moan, her head pounding and an ache in her left thigh from the dart. She took a moment before opening her still-heavy eyelids to try and assess the situation; she was on a wooden surface, likely a floor if the polish she smelled was any indication, and there were people near though not in the same room. Perhaps more worrying was the fact that she was in her humanoid form without any memory of having shifted, something that hadn’t happened since she was a child, which told her the change had been forced upon her. And there were only so many people she knew could manage that. The theory was further supported by the fact that she was wearing a rather uncomfortable, doll-like dress.

 

    She opened her eyes slowly, muscles tensed and ears strained to every sound. The room she was in was utterly dark, which she counted to her advantage, and devoid of any windows or furniture; so no escape but for the door to her side and no weapons but her own limbs. With care she sat up then stood, testing her joints for any stiffness and thankfully finding none but what came from being immobile for an hour or two; she knew she would need all the advantages she could get if she was going to get out of this in one piece. Padding to the door, she pressed her ear against it and listened carefully; she counted five people, four of them male and the last sent a shiver down her spine.

 

    She hadn’t heard _her_ in almost three years, but she would _never_ forget that voice.

 

    Lena heard one of the male voices come towards the door and stood aside as it was opened, hiding behind it until the man walked into the room and looked around for her. She barely gave him the chance to turn around and begin calling her apparent absence to the others’ attention before she slipped behind him and grabbed his jaw and the back of his head like Loki had taught her, snapping his neck with a quick movement. There were guns drawn and Lena prepared herself to be in a lot of pain.

 

    “Stop! Don’t you _dare_ hurt her!” Came the rather shrill order from Yvonne; one of the people who’d put Lena through hell for fourteen years of her life. The blonde, brown eyed young woman looked at her with a kind of twisted fondness, like a careless child would a favourite toy. “Lena, it’s been so long; we were worried about you,” She said with what Lena supposed might pass for sweetness if she didn’t know the kind of monster she was.

 

    “Oh, is that why you had me shot with a tranquiliser?” Lena retorted, masking her fear with sarcasm.

 

    “Well, the last time we tried to bring you home ended with father’s men dying; so he thought it was best to be safe this time.”

 

    _“Home??”_ Lena laughed incredulously, “That wasn’t home for me. _My home_ was with my mother and my siblings; not with you sadistic freaks!”

 

    Yvonne’s thin lips turned down in a frown Lena was all too familiar with and her eyes narrowed in irritation. “We treated you like family, you ungrateful little-”

 

    “You fucking _tortured me!!”_ Lena cut in angrily. “This,” she clutched at the dress, “This isn’t family; this is a game. I’ve never been anything but a toy to you and Lysanne.”

 

    “Fine, if you want to call it that, go ahead,” Yvonne replied with a careless one-shouldered shrug, “But you’re still coming back. After all; no one is ever going to accept you like we do.”

 

    “You’re wrong,” Lena replied steadily, her hands curling into fists as she felt the last traces of the drug supressing her change disappear, “I’ve found my way out, and you will never hurt me again.”

 

    “We’ll see about that, Lennie,” Yvonne said with a smile, “You’ll never be free from us; we _own_ you. That’s all your kind are good for, where you belong.”

 

    Lena felt a flash of rage unlike she’d ever felt before and then noticed something clutched in her fist. Something solid and smooth and square. She squeezed it tighter and felt an almost electric sensation shoot up her arm and straight to her heart and she reacted instinctually; her skin erupted in goosebumps as the change worked its way through her and she let out a angry yowl _very_ unlike the small housecat she’d always shifted into before she leaped forward straight to Yvonne, changing into a large black panther mid-jump.

 

    The blonde barely had time to scream in shock and fear before Lena landed on her, the remains of the dress still hanging off her frame, and clamped her powerful jaws on her throat; a jerk of the feline’s head and Yvonne was choking on her own blood as the men she’d brought with her watched, momentarily frozen. The pause was enough for Lena to leap onto one of the men, causing him to begin firing wildly and hit the lightbulb. The others began to panic then, the combination of the sudden darkness and the agonised screams of their fellow as Lena tore him apart proving enough to make them lose all composure. This was not what they’d signed up for.

 

    One by one they fell as Lena stalked them expertly until all was silent again. Without a moment’s hesitation Lena left the room and made her way out of the building, a secluded cabin she learned, just in time to run into a very worried and angry Loki.

 

    He stopped short when he saw her, eyes wide. “Lena?”

 

    She went up to him, easily reaching his waist now, and nudged him with her head. He knelt down and grabbed her face in his hands, unheeding of the blood that all but covered her, and a smile spread across his lips.

 

    “Well, look at you,” He said softly, “My beautiful girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so proud of my girl here, you have no idea.
> 
> If you can find the bit of song lyric I wrote into this, you get a virtual cookie. I swear it wasn't on purpose. XD


End file.
